Reinforcement for pallets



Feb. 18, 1958 A. E. BOURDON 2,823,883

REINFORCEMENT FOR PALLETS Filed Jan. 10, 1955 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

nited States Patent REINFORCEMENT FOR PALLETS Albert Eugene Bourdon, Des Plaines, Ill. Application January 10, 1955, Serial No. 480,681

3 Claims. (Cl. 248--120) This invention relates to reinforcements for pallets and more particularly to means to reinforce a standard wooden pallet against both abrasion and separation due to use.

Wooden pallets in use are subject to abrasion and splintering of the end slats due to striking thereof with the ends of fork trucks, or due to striking against other objects. The end slats also tend to be torn from the supporting rails when the forks are inserted too far in the pallet or when the load is not balanced properly. Previous eiforts to reinforce and protect the end slats have not been commercially acceptable because of their high cost.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of a reinforcement for a pallet which can be manufactured very inexpensively, installed easily on existing pallets with a minimum eifort and expense, and which effectively protects the end slats against both abrasion and separation from the rails.

Another object is to provide a reinforcement which is formed of a single piece of sheet metal having a channel portion to fit over and protect the edge of the end slat and integral tongues overlying and secured to the rails.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pallet reinforced according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the reinforcing strip,

er se; p Figure 4 is a perspective view of an alternative reinforcing strip;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the reinforcing strip of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of still another alternative reinforcing strip; and

Figure 7 is an end view of the reinforcing strip of Figure 6.

The reinforcement of the present invention can be applied to a conventional wood pallet which, as illustrated in Figure 1, comprises three elongated spaced rails 10 formed of relatively heavy wood pieces, such as two by sixes and a plurality of upper cross slats 11 and lower cross slats 12 secured across the rails 10. In the completed structure, the forks of a conventional fork lift truck are adapted to be inserted in the channels provided between adjacent rails and between the upper and lower cross slats to pick up the pallet, together with a load thereon. In such use, the edges of the end slats and particularly of the upper end slats tend to become battered or splintered and also tend to be pulled from the rails. The reinforcement of the present invention is adapted to reinforce against both of these types of damage in an inexpensive manner.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the edge portion of the end slat is reinforced and securely attached. to the rails by a unitary reinforcement formed of sheet metal with channel shaped portions 13 to fit over the outer edge of the end slat. Between the channel shaped portions 13 the lower flange of the channel is slit and bent to provide a tab or tongue 14 which will ovelie the end of the center rail 10, as shown. Near the ends of the reinforce ment, the edge and bottom portions of the channel are cut away to clear the end rails 10 and. the upper flange of the channel is extended outward and then downward in the form of a tongue 15 which will overlie the outer surfaces of the end rails 10.

To install the reinforcement on a pallet, either a new pallet or one already in use, it is necessary only to slide the channel portions 13 over the outer edge of the end slat 11 with the tongue 14 overlying the end of the center rail and the tongues 15 overlying the outer surfaces of the outer rails. The tongues 14 and 15 may then be attached to the respective rails by fastenings, such as nails 16, driven into the rails through suitable openings in the tongues.

It will be seen that the reinforcements, as shown, can be formed very simply and inexpensively from single pieces of sheet metal, or like material, in a very simple breaking or bending operation. When formed, the reinforcements can be attached easily to pallets in the manner described above. Once in place, the channel portions 13 will protect the edges of the end slats against abrasion or splintering thereby substantially extending the useful life of the pallets. At the same time, the tongues 14 and 15 will secure the end slats very tightly to the rails so that the pallet will be substantially strengthened and reinforced. By attaching reinforcements, as shown, the pallets can be reinforced and protected at the points of greatest wear and damage so that their lives will be substantially extended at a very low cost.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate an alternative construction wherein parts corresponding to like parts in Figures 2 and 3 are indicated by the same reference numerals, plus 100. In this construction, the reinforcement is identical in all respects, except that at the ends the tongues are formed by cutting away the bottom flange only of the channel sections and extending the cut away portion vertically downward to define end tongues similar to the center tongue 114. The reinforcement may be installed in the same manner as in the manner of Figures 1 to 3 and will function to produce the same highlydesirable results in the same way.

In the modification of Figures 6 and 7, parts corresponding to like parts in Figures 2 and 3 are indicated by the same reference numerals, plus 200. In this construction, the reinforcement is similar to that of Figures 2 and 3, except that the end tongues 215 are formed by cutting away the web of the channel at the ends thereof and bending the bottom flange downward to fit against the insides of the end rails 10 of the pallet. In addition to being nailed to the end rails, the tongues 215 may be formed with outwardly extending flanges 217 which can be driven into the end rails or which can fit in preformed grooves therein to secure the reinforcements more firmly to the end rails. Qther than the different means of fastening, this construction is substantially similar to that of Figures 2 and 3 and functions in the same manner to accomplish the same results.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be understood that they are illustrative only and not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being bad for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a pallet having a plurality of r 3 spaced parallel rails and cross slats secured over the rails with the edges of the end slats lying substantially flush with the ends of the rails, a reinforcement comprising an elongated unitary strip of sheet metal of channel section having a top flange overlying the top edge portion ofan end slat, a web overlying the outer edge of the end slat,

V and a bottom flange underlying the bottom edge portion with the ends of the rails, a reinforcement comprising an elongated unitary strip of sheet metal of channel section having a top flange overlying the top edge portion 0 of an end slat, a web overlying the outer edge of the end slat, and a bottom flange underlying the bottom edge portion of the end slat the top flange extending beyond the ends of the end slot and downward in the form of flat tongues in engagement with the outer sides of the end rails respectively adjacent to the ends thereof and terminating above the bottoms of the rails, the bottom flange being cut away in registry with the rails to receive the ends of the rails and fastenings extending through 4 the tongues into the rails and securing the tongues to the rails.

3. In combination with a pallet having a plurality of spaced parallel rails and cross slats secured over the rails with the edges of the end slats lying substantially flush with the ends of the rails, a reinforcement comprising an elongated unitary strip of sheet metal of channel section having a top flange overlying the top edge portion of an end slat, a web overlying the outer edge of the end slat, and a bottom flange underlying the bottom edge portion of the end slat the top flange extending beyond the ends of the top flange and downward in the form of flat tongues in engagement with the outer sides of the end rails respectively adjacent to the ends thereof and terminating above the bottoms of the rails, the bottom flange being cut away in registry with the rails, a flat tongue extending downward from the web in engagement with the end of an intermediate rail, and fastenings extending through the tongues into the rails and securing the tongues t0 the rails.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 853,086 Jacquart May 7, 1907 2,148,150 Clark Feb. 21, 1939 2,311,280 Quayle Feb. 16, 1943 2,436,358 Hastings Feb. 17, 1948 2,651,486 Woodward Sept. 8, 1953 

